


What's Left Behind (Mei makes an unsettling discovery)

by citylitlena



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Chinese Character, Climate Science, Conspiracy, Dark Eco, Developing Friendships, Ecopoint: Nepal, Exploration, Friendship, Gen, Loyalty, Manipulation, Mexican Character, Nepal (Overwatch), Nicknames, Omnics, Pet Names, Post-Omnic Crisis, Pre-Canon, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Slash, Questioning, Sarcasm, Science Fiction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-11
Updated: 2020-12-11
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:00:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28014330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/citylitlena/pseuds/citylitlena
Summary: Mei-ling Zhou is on a quest to uncover data from abandoned Overwatch Ecopoints- the wrold is worth fighting for! In the company of a *mysterious* (citation needed) security expert she explores a supposedly abandoned ruin. What she discovers there might save the world- but it will shake her belief in those fighting for it.
Relationships: Meiling Zhou & Olivia "Sombra" Colomar





	What's Left Behind (Mei makes an unsettling discovery)

**Author's Note:**

> Hello OW fanfic community! I played a bunch in 2017, then forgot all about it ebfore rocketing har back into OW this winter to find there still really isn't much for these characters to actually *do* in game. Decided to help fix it and add to what's already here. I think Sombra and Mei could be a real nice compliment to each other's personalities and maybe they'll even become more than friends, who knows. Bringing in more characters later too!

Mei inhaled deeply, grinning at the vista arrayed before her. The Himalayas were as vast as she remembered from a childhood holiday- on the clear day she could even see one edge of Everest disappearing into the clouds above. The air was heady with the scent of the freshest tea she had ever drunk, mixed with the fresh air of the snowy mountains. It had been no lie- the monastery truly celebrated the beauty of this amazing ecosystem. It almost made Mei forget the cold wind drifting over the porch, but not quite. She held the teacup close to her chest and retreated farther indoors. She was certainly awake now and began pulling on two layers of clothing. She was halfway through securing thick trousers when a tinkling bell sounded from behind the divider curtain. Mei yelped, tripped and tumbled to the floor. The woven mats softened the fall and she blurted out: 

“Just a minute!”

A little over a minute later, she slid the door back, blowing a stubborn lock of hair our of her eyes. Outside was a humanoid omnic with a kind-looking faceplate adorned with three dots; they made a shape like little planets orbiting one another. 

“Oh! Good morning Jiyun”

Jiyun inclined their head slightly and the pink light of the morning shone dully on their polished silver faceplate. 

“It is. The security consultant you mentioned has arrived.”

Mei’s eyes widened. They were so early! 

“However…” Jiyun anxiously tapped their fingers on their chestpiece in a hail of metallic clinks. “They are acting discordantly. They have been stalled outside the gates. Might you talk to them for us?” 

Huh- sounds like someone was chafing with the rules of this place. Mei’s grin became a determined smirk. “I’ll be right there!” She rushed back into the room and began putting on her thick outside coat which Snowball was helpfully holding up for her. “Peace be upon you Jiyun!”. 

The courtyard of the monastery was perfectly arranged. It hovered directly in the center of a deep valley. This early in the morning, the mists were heavy, obscuring the valley floor and giving the impression that the monastery was floating on clouds. Mei pulled her coat tight as Snowball hovered behind her. Together, the scientist and her pet robot huddled their way to the gatehouse. Snowball began to hum a little song, which Mei quickly shushed as they passed a group of monks deep in their morning meditations. Mei grinned sheepishly at the assembled group, but none of them seemed to be paying attention, except for Ten. Ten was leading the meditation- but it was hard to tell if he was aware of them at all given his spherical, faceless form. 

Reaching the gatehouse, a modest pagoda detailed with a lotus nestling inside a crescent moon, Mei could already hear the commotion. Jiyun’s planet-like design was alight, projecting the holographic image of the human at the gates. Rushing to Jiyun’s side, Mei observed a human with a large fur hood obscuring much of their face, save for dark lips and a impractically-long fringe. Their fringe was tinted orange and they wore a figure-hugging thick coat that was dark purple. Still vainly trying to secure a piece of fringe desperate to get in her eyes, Mei hurried over. She caught the end of what the figure was saying, in English tinted with an accent Mei didn’t entirely recognize: 

“… just here to talk with Zhou and get gone.”

Jiyun responded in a calm tone but met Mei’s gaze and gave an exaggerated shrug. It was clear they were not happy with the security consultant. “We are a people of peace. No weapons are permitted. If you do not leave them in the secure capsule, you may not enter.” 

Mei’s brow furrowed- who even brings weapons to a monastery of the Iris? “He-hello? Are you Cameo? Mei-ling here!” 

The figure on the screen held their arms open in a gesture as if to exclaim _finally_. “Ahh so you are alive Mei-ling! Yeah, it’s me, Cameo. Tell this guy why your security consultant shouldn’t have to give up her gun!” 

“Oh, nobody has weapons in the monastery! It’s a peaceful place- not dangerous at all! I just need your expertise for now.”

Cameo cradled her forehead in one of her hands- it was wrapped in some sort of glove, glowing with tech that made her fingers look all spikey. “ _Ay, dios mio!_ Why are you making such a big deal outta this? I’m just visiting. Plus, aren’t there jaguars and shit out here? I don’t want-” 

Suddenly, the camera feed cut off as the design on Jiyun’s forehead stopped glowing.

“Jiyun, I really do need to talk to her- can you please turn the camera on? I think I can convince her.” 

“If you want to, you must descend yourself. I have little patience for those who cling to violence for definition.” 

Mei clenched her fist for a second- she had to find someone to help her get into Ecopoint Everest or the whole mission would be a flop. After a few seconds, she took a deep breath- Jiyun and the others were serious about their rules. And they had good reasons to be. “I’m sorry for the trouble Jiyun- I really need her but you didn’t deserve to have a bad morning.” 

“On the contrary, Mei-ling. You said it was a good morning- it is all the better now that I cannot hear one so full of turmoil and derision. Will you descend?” 

“I will! I’m sure she’ll listen to me- this job is too good to pass up!” Mei stepped through the ornate shrine gate onto the elevator platform. Butterflies swirled in her stomach as the platform gently drifted down to the surface of the sea of fog. Jiyun was right- it was a beautiful morning, and Mei wasn’t going to let someone with a bad attitude ruin it. 

_Okay Mei!_ She thought. _Assertive mode-activate!_

She absently scritched the top of Snowball’s head as the elevator plunged into the foggy valley, surrounding the two in freezing fog. Mei clutched her coat tighter around her and finally succeeded in securing the rogue fringe into her hairdo. 

The elevator landed with barely a whisper. Its doors glided open to reveal the figure she had seen on the gritty screen projected by Jiyun. The claw glove was even more spooky-looking in high-definition. The outfit glowed slightly purple, so they seemed to be wreathed in a haze of violet among the surrounding blue fog. 

“At last I get to see who I’m talking to- that doorman wasn’t letting up at all.” 

Mei crossed her arms: “Hay, chill out! You already traveled all this way, so come on up and let’s make plans!” 

The figure tilted their head to the side, considering her words for but a second. “Sure, where do I put this thing?” She dug into the folds of the jacket and extracted a sleek sub-machine gun. A small screen on the left side of the barrel lit up with a simple image of an eye, rendered in flickering pink. 

Mei felt the tension in her back slide downwards. “That’s it? Oh thanks goodness! I thought I would have to give you a big talk about peace and social norms!”

Her mouth curled into a sharp smirk. “Pha, I just wanted to see you for myself.”

“So, why not step in and save us both waiting in all this fog?” 

“You don’t work how I work for long without falling for some nasty traps. And _pollita_ , a mysterious tube in some valley in the middle of nowhere already sounds like somewhere people vanish. Had to be sure it was you up there.” 

“That makes sense I suppose… Sorry, I’m just a scientist. I don’t know much about security protocols.” Mei moved a few steps forward, extending a gloved hand. “Nice to meet you! You already know I’m Mei-ling Zhou.” 

The figure took the handshake in their non-scary, non-clawed hand (much to Mei’s relief). She shook more delicately than half the diplomats Mei had been met while planning this expedition. “Call me Caro Lopez. Now where should I put this thing?” She nodded to the gun that was slowly twirling in her other hand.

“There are secure crates, hidden in that tree over there.” She began stumping through the long grasses to a nearby tree, thick and ancient-looking. 

“You can put it in with my ice tool. Just need to push here…” The tree glowed gently from inside. The image of the Iris shone through the many lines of the bark as Mei flipped back to her native language: “Mei, checking in!” 

The thick front bark of the tree extended with a slight hiss of hydraulic convenience. The cylindrical set of lockers at it’s core rotated until it found one with a sticky-note bearing Mei’s name and a drawing of Snowball. She pulled open the hatch to reveal a pack, stacks of books and perched proudly on top… 

“Never seen a gun that looks like that before.” Caro observed. “Some sort of water pistol?” 

Mei shook her head, smiling at the chance to explain the invention that had saved her life. “It’s a prototype ice blaster tool! The coolant mixture is compressed within the chamber to make cryonic fog. I made it myself, don’t even get me started talking about it.” 

“Okay, maybe later _pollita_. If we stick around in this fog we are gonna get cryo-frozen.” 

Caro gaze lingered on the locker before she stepped forward and hung the slick submachine gun form a peg at the back of the locker. It looked severely out of place. She stepped back and allowed Mei to seal up the locker and tree. 

“Why is a book about nuclear power in there with the guns? It’s gonna give a deadly paper-cut or???”

Mei finished sealing the locker and beckoned Caro to follow her to the elevator. On the way up she explained: “The monastery aren’t just against guns. Spiritual violence isn’t allowed either. Nuclear power is ameizing but it can also be used to make weapons- they told me it was a dangerous energy to have in the monastery walls.” 

“You believe all that?” 

“No! But it’s important to be a good guest and feng-shui certainly has some compelling evidence behind it.” 

“Hm.” 

“Is something wrong?” 

“It jus’ hit me that I’m very far from home.” 

“Oh- where is home?”

“Mexico- Much warmer over there. How about you?” 

“Oh, I’m close to home- I’m from near Beijing.” 

“Really? I need someone who can help me real… well, anything around here.” 

The two had a short conversation as the elevator climbed. Mei didn’t really take in most of the small questions- she was busy taking in the glowing golden light that started to filter through the fog. The sun was starting to peek over the valley. 


End file.
